Deception
by Ruinous Virtue
Summary: Naturo is six when he is beaten within an inch of his life, and meets Kyuubi for the first time, and- Wait, what! Kyuubi wants to train Naruto? What's going on here? NaruHina


A/n- This is my first fic, and it's almost three thousand words for the first chapter! Yay! Please, no flaming. If you think I did something wrong, tell me how to fix it, don't just yell at me, okay? By the way, sorry for taking so long, Tobmaster. I was planning on posting a different fic, then this popped into my head, and I just had to write it. I will try to update regularly, but I will make no promises, people. I tend to be very forgetful and absentminded, so bear with me please. Now, let us begin!

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_Why do they hate me so much?_ a young blond boy wondered. He was surrounded by over two dozen people from his village, all of whom were either beating his already broken body or laughing while they watched. He was barely conscious, having been beaten so severely that he no longer felt the blows raining down on him. The villagers stopped attacking him suddenly. _So they finally got bored for hitting someone who can't hit back,_ the blond thought. He was proven wrong when one villager stepped forward with a cruel smile on his face.

"Now, demon, you will die," he declared as he picked up the half-conscious child by the throat. After a few seconds of choking the boy, the villager slammed him into the ground, head first. "It's dead," he exclaimed gleefully. And the blond boy did indeed appear to be dead. As the crowd dispersed, congratulating one another on killing the demon, none of them looked close enough to notice the almost nonexistent signs of life coming from the boy…

"Great, now where am I?" the blond complained. He had woken to find himself laying in a few inches of pungent water, with a massive cage right in front of him. "Did they throw me in the sewer?"

**"No boy. This is no sewer."**

"Huh? Who said that?" the boy demanded.

**"I will tell you who I am, but it is polite to introduce oneself before asking someone else's name,"** the voice scolded.

"Oh, sorry. I'm Uzumaki Naruto. What's your name? And where are you?"

**"First, before I show myself, know that you have nothing to fear from me,"** the voice said gently. Naruto watched in amazement as a giant fox appeared from the shadows inside the cage and approached the bars. A fox with nine tails…

"Ahhhhh!" The fox rolled its eyes.

**"As you can see, I am Kyuubi no Kitsune, but you may simply call me Kyuubi."**

"Where are we? How are you here? Didn't the Fourth kill you?" Naruto demanded fearfully. Kyuubi sighed.

**"First, I am a youma. I can't be killed, not by traditional means. Second, I would not be here if I could help it. Third, this is the part of your mind in which I reside."**

"My mind? Huh?" Naruto's confusion was almost palpable.

**"Yes, kit, your mind. When the Fourth Hokage realized he wouldn't be able to kill me, he decided to seal me into a newborn child- namely you."**

"So that's why the villagers hate me so much..." Naruto said sadly. "They think that I'm you."

**"Correct."**

"You know, you don't seem very evil," Naruto remarked.

**"Not all demons are evil, kit. Some of humanity's greatest heroes have been demons in disguise."**

"So… are you saying that you're not evil?"

**"Yes, exactly!"** Kyuubi exclaimed happily.

"But you attacked Kanoha." Kyuubi's eyes darkened dangerously.

**"Not by choice, kit. I was being controlled by someone who wanted to destroy your village." **Naruto bowed his head apologetically. Kyuubi interrupted Naruto just as he was about to say something. **"And before you ask, I'm not going to tell you who it was just yet. It will be some time before he again poses a threat to this village. I'll tell you who controlled me when the time comes. I'll also tell you about your parents at that time."**

"You knew my parents?" Naruto asked in surprise.

**"Very well, as a matter of fact. The world is worse off without the two of them,"** the fox lamented.

"Cool! I'm gonna get to find out who my parents were!" Kyuubi chuckled at the blond. **_Such an odd kit, this one._**

**"Kit, you're unusual, even by my standards. What made you decide to trust me so easily?"**

"I dunno. I just don't see any reason for you to lie to me," the blond explained.

**"Hmm… You also act like someone many years older than you are. Care to explain that one?"**

"With the life I've had, I had to grow up fast," Naruto said sadly. Kyuubi nodded his head in sorrowful understanding. "So, why haven't I met you before now? I mean, you've been here pretty much my whole life, right?"

**"Yes, but I've been in a sort of hibernation. You getting beaten within an inch of your life woke me." **Kyuubi paused in thought for a moment.** "Tell you what- I'm going to train you."**

"Train me? You mean as a ninja?" Naruto practically squealed in excitement.

**"Hahaha! Yes, as a ninja, kit. It'll let you avoid beatings like this one. We'll start tomorrow. For now, though, you should sleep. You need to heal."**

"Alright," Naruto agreed, too excited to be disappointed that his training wouldn't start immediately. "How should I contact you from now on?"

**"Just think. My consciousness is inside your mind. I'll hear everything you think from now on, and I'll experience everything you experience."**

"Huh. That's pretty weird. Well, see you tomorrow! Ja ne!"

**"Ja ne," **Kyuubi said with a chuckle.** _I'm going to have fun training this one,_** he thought.

* * *

The next morning, Naruto woke to find himself lying in a hospital bed. The walls were a calming tan color, and the lights in the ceiling were gentler than the florescent bulbs used in most other buildings. Naruto sighed in comfort. The bed he was laying on was much better than the one at his home. Just then, the door opened.

"Hey Naruto, how are you feeling?"

"Ojisan!" Naruto cried happily. He turned to see the third Hokage standing in the doorway with a doctor standing behind him. It seemed as if a smile would fit more naturally with the doctor's brown hair and dark blue clothes than the scowl currently on his face.

"You should show Sarutobi-sama the respect he deserves, Naruto," he reprimanded. The Third laughed for a few moments.

"It's alright, Tamaki. I don't mind him calling me that. Naruto, this is Tamaki, an old friend of mine and a retired medic nin. I've appointed him to be your personal doctor, since so many of the doctors in the village refuse to treat you." Naruto waved in greeting and smiled at the man. Tamaki responded with a smile of his own. "Now that the introduction is taken care of, let's get down to business. Has Naruto fully recovered?" Tamaki quickly checked Naruto for signs of his recent ordeal, but found none.

"It's as I thought. His healing has gotten even faster." He shook his head in disbelief. "To recover from such severe injuries in just one day… Truly a remarkable ability."

"I'd give it up in a heartbeat if the villagers would stop hating me," Naruto muttered.

**_I hope you don't mean that, kit,_** Kyuubi said, hurt by the blonde's words.

_I'm sorry, Kyuubi. I didn't mean it like that. I just wish they'd accept me._

**_Maybe one day they will. Don't give up on them just yet. By the way, I'd like to keep the fact that I'm going to be training you a secret. Pretend that you don't know about me._**

_Okay, but why?_ Kyuubi smiled.

**_Lesson One- Deception is a shinobi's greatest weapon. Hide your strength, kit. The more people underestimate you, the better._** A sigh from the Third brought Naruto's attention back to his surroundings.

"Do you want to press charges this time?" Sarutobi asked, though he already knew what Naruto would say.

"No." Tamaki's eyes went wide with surprise.

"Why not, Naruto? They very nearly killed you. Regardless of how fast you heal, you should try to stop it from happening again."

"Whatever their reason is for hating me, it stems from pain. You can't blame them for being in pain," the blond declared. "And if letting stuff like this slide helps with their pain, then so be it." Tamaki couldn't believe his ears. Naruto, despite being just six years old, was offering to become an outlet for the villagers' pain, to become a punching bag to help his tormentors.

"Well, then it's a good thing I'm here. You need to be able to protect yourself. Sarutobi, would you let me train him?"

"Certainly. I'll reserve a training ground for the two of you. Try to keep anyone from finding out, though," he warned. "Most of the villagers would be very uncomfortable with the idea of Naruto receiving shinobi training." As the two adults discussed the exact details of Naruto's training, the blonde talked to Kyuubi.

_Do you think I should say I don't want to be trained? Being trained by Tamaki would interfere with you training me, wouldn't it?_

**_Declining would be suspicious. Go along with it, at least for now. Besides, this actually works out quite well. I'll let him handle your physical training, then teach you ninjutsu and genjutsu in your free time. You'll be able to practice those inside of your mind, so we won't need a training ground._**

_Sounds good. By the way, could I call you Kyuu? It sounds more like an actual name._

**_Sure, but you'll still have to call me sensei while I'm training you._** Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Okay Naruto, you're good to go. I'll pick you up at seven tomorrow morning to begin your training," Tamaki told him.

"Alright! I'm gonna start training tomorrow!" Naruto exclaimed with genuine excitement. He jumped up and ran off, leaving a wake of aggravated hospital staff.

"I wish he would conserve his energy at least a little," Tamaki said with a sigh.

"If only I still had that kind of energy," Sarutobi remarked with a wry smile. Tamaki chuckled in agreement.

* * *

Seven AM found Naruto fast asleep, just outside his front door. Tamaki, too, found him that way, and smiled. _Must have been excited and got up too early._ He walked over to his young student and began shaking him. "Naruto. Naruto, wake up. It's time to train." The blonde simply kept snoring away. _Let's try that trick Sarutobi told me about…_ "Naruto! Free ramen!" he shouted. He burst out laughing as Naruto jumped up so fast he tripped over his own feet. Naruto glared up at him from the ground.

"That was mean, Tamaki-sensei."

"Well, it certainly woke you up, didn't it?" he countered. Naruto grumbled a bit as he stood up and dusted himself off. "Alright, let's go. It's time for you to begin training!" He strode off, making sure that Naruto would have to jog to keep up with him. The blonde seemed to realize this was being done on purpose, and kept up without complaint. When they arrived at their reserved training ground, he tossed Naruto a water bottle. "Drink, then we'll start your physical conditioning." Naruto did as he was told. When he had finished the water, Tamaki smiled with what Naruto would later call the "Tyrant's Glow." Naruto shivered involuntarily. "Ready?" Tamaki asked in a too-innocent way. When Naruto nodded warily, the Tyrant's Glow intensified. "Then drop and give me five hundred push-ups."

"What?! That's ridiculous! There's no way I can do that many!"

"You're free to take as many breaks as you need, for as long as you need, but you won't be allowed to leave this spot or do any other training until you've completed the full five hundred. Understood?"

"Yeah, fine," Naruto growled. Tamaki pulled out a book and sat down under a nearby tree to read while he waited. Naruto surprised him with how well he did, getting through the first hundred and fifty without needing a break. From there, Naruto took a minute long break every fifty push-ups. _He's pacing himself. Good._ Naruto finished unusually quickly for a first time completing the exercise. "So now what?" Naruto inquired once he'd caught his breath.

"Now you do the same thing, only with sit-ups," Tamaki told him, Tyrant's Glow turned up to the maximum setting.

"You've got to be kidding me." Despite his complaining, Naruto got to work quickly. Again, he paced himself, taking regular breaks rather than pushing as far as he could go before resting. Using this method, he once again finished well ahead of the average for a first time. Still, it had taken quite some time, as Naruto's stomach reminded both of them.

"Well, sounds like it's time for lunch. My treat." Naruto smiled evilly.

"Oh, yeah. Payback time." Tamaki eyed him warily.

"What do you mean, payback time? This is your training."

"Doesn't make you any less deserving of payback," Naruto told him. Tamaki told himself to stop worrying. _Kid's probably too tired to pull anything without me being able to stop him._

* * *

Tamaki stared in horror at the sight before him.

"I take it you've never seen Naruto eat ramen before?" Teuchi, the owner of the ramen shop, asked.

"Sarutobi told me that he loved ramen, but this… this is insane!" he said, his alarm apparent.

"He's my best customer. Eats here all the time, usually at least thirty bowls in one day."

"Thirty bowls… How is he not a blimp, exactly? He could give an Akimichi a run for their money!" Tamaki exclaimed as he handed more money to Teuchi from his once-fat wallet.

"I once had him compete with an Akimichi. Whoever ate more bowls of ramen didn't have to pay for their meal. That Akimichi wound up paying for forty one bowls before he was carted off to the hospital," Teuchi recalled with a laugh. Tamaki simply groaned and handed over more money.

* * *

After Tamaki's wallet was empty, they returned to the training ground. Naruto was fully recovered from his morning exercise, much to the doctor's surprise and chagrin. He shrugged it off and decided that he'd have to double Naruto's training, effective immediately. "Time for you to work on your leg strength, kiddo. Do the same exercise as before, but this time do squats- and add an extra five hundred."

"Aw, come on!" Naruto complained. "There's no way I can do that!"

"Of course you can. Just pace yourself like you did this morning and you'll be fine," Tamaki admonished.

"Hmph! All you're doing is having me work out! I could do this alone!" Naruto yelled.

"Yes, you could, but I'm here to make sure you're pushing yourself as far as possible without hurting yourself. Understand?" he asked. Naruto sighed.

"Alright, fine, I get it. When am I going to start learning taijutsu?"

"Not for a while. I'll start teaching you when you can do one thousand each of sit-ups, push-ups, and squats without having to rest." Naruto's face clearly displayed his disappointment. "Hey, don't go getting depressed on me. If you push yourself as hard as you can, you might be able to do it in a month or less. Work hard, ok?" Naruto smiled again.

"You got it, Tamaki-sensei! I'll be learning taijutsu in three weeks or less! Dattebayo!"

"If you actually pull that off, I'll treat you to another round at Ichiraku's," Tamaki offered, thinking himself same from actually having to carry through on that promise.

"Nani? Awesome! I can't wait!" Naruto cheered as he began doing squats. Tamaki had a sinking feeling that he would come to regret the bet he'd just made.

That night, Naruto was resting his aching body while in a lotus position while Kyuu lectured him on chakra.

**_Chakra is made up of a mixture of your physical and spiritual energies. By changing the ratio you can change to nature of the chakra, which allows you to perform jutsu from the five elements. For jutsu that don't fall under one of the element types, which is what you'll be starting with, the goal is to keep the two energy types as close to equal as possible. _**Naruto gave a nod of understanding. **_Because of how much chakra you have, even without my help, regular bushins will be difficult for you. You'll learn this instead. _**He handed Naruto a small scroll. **_This technique uses more chakra than a normal bushin because to actually creates physical copies of you, which makes it very powerful in combat._**

_Kage Bushin no Jutsu? Sounds cool! Let's get started! _The young blonde exclaimed.

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And so it begins. Please review and tell me how I can improve it. Thank you. Ja ne!


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